A number of OEMs, stylus and touch controller makers announce the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI), an organisation with the aim of developing and promoting an industry specification for an active stylus.

USI founding members include Atmel, Hanvon, Intel, Lenovo, Sharp, Synaptics, Wacom, and Waltop (at the Promoter level), as well as Dell, eGalax_eMPIA, Elan and Focal Tech (at the Contributor level).

The organization's plan is to create a cross-platform stylus standard allowing for seamless communications between active styluses and touch-enabled devices from multiple vendors. It hopes to publish an initial USI specification by Q2 2015.

Accessory maker KickShark takes to Kickstarter to provide customers with a means to add more ports to the new 12-inch MacBook-- the HydraDock, a hub providing an array of no less than 11 ports.

The recently launched new MacBook replaces all ports with a single USB-C adapter.

The 11 ports within the HydraDock include a 4 full-size USB 3.0, two USB-C, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, ethernet, SDXC card slot and 3.5mm jack. One curious omission is Thunderbolt 2.0, which is found in the MacBook Pro.

MIT Media Laboratory researchers present what is probably the smallest trackpad out there-- the NailO, a thumbnail-sized wireless input device one can wear on their, well, thumbnail.

The tiny device packs a battery, Bluetooth radio, multiple processor and a capacitative trackpad, and according to the makers allows control of smartphones, laptops and other wearable devices while the user has their hands full. It can also augment other interfaces (such as toggle between symbol sets while typing) and even allow for subtle communications of the sending a quick text during a meeting variety.

“It’s very unobtrusive,” researcher Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao says. “When I put this on, it becomes part of my body. I have the power to take it off, so it still gives you control over it. But it allows this very close connection to your body.”

According to the Wall Street Journal Google has a team of researchers creating the batteries powering the CE of the future, including improved lithium-ion batteries and cutting-edge solid-state alternatives.

The four-man team is led by ex-Apple battery expert Dr. Ramesh Bhardwaj, and makes part of the secretive Google X research lab. According to the WSJ Google has "at least" 20 ongoing battery-dependent products, ranging from self-driving cars, wearables and even disease-diagnosing devices.

Particularly relevant to consumer devices are solid-state batteries, which transmit current over a solid thin film, rather than a liquid. This allows for thinner, flexible batteries ideal for small mobile devices-- even if researchers doubt whether the technology can be mass produced cheaply.